Universität zu Köln

Downey, Sean S., Bocaege, Emmy ORCID: 0000-0002-9988-3530, Kerig, Tim, Edinborough, Kevan ORCID: 0000-0002-7668-0749 and Shennan, Stephen (2014). The Neolithic Demographic Transition in Europe: Correlation with Juvenility Index Supports Interpretation of the Summed Calibrated Radiocarbon Date Probability Distribution (SCDPD) as a Valid Demographic Proxy. PLoS One, 9 (8). SAN FRANCISCO: PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE. ISSN 1932-6203

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

Analysis of the proportion of immature skeletons recovered from European prehistoric cemeteries has shown that the transition to agriculture after 9000 BP triggered a long- term increase in human fertility. Here we compare the largest analysis of European cemeteries to date with an independent line of evidence, the summed calibrated date probability distribution of radiocarbon dates (SCDPD) from archaeological sites. Our cemetery reanalysis confirms increased growth rates after the introduction of agriculture; the radiocarbon analysis also shows this pattern, and a significant correlation between both lines of evidence confirms the demographic validity of SCDPDs. We analyze the areal extent of Neolithic enclosures and demographic data from ethnographically known farming and foraging societies and we estimate differences in population levels at individual sites. We find little effect on the overall shape and precision of the SCDPD and we observe a small increase in the correlation with the cemetery trends. The SCDPD analysis supports the hypothesis that the transition to agriculture dramatically increased demographic growth, but it was followed within centuries by a general pattern of collapse even after accounting for higher settlement densities during the Neolithic. The study supports the unique contribution of SCDPDs as a valid demographic proxy for the demographic patterns associated with early agriculture.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Downey, Sean S. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Bocaege, Emmy UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0002-9988-3530 UNSPECIFIED Kerig, Tim UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Edinborough, Kevan UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0002-7668-0749 UNSPECIFIED Shennan, Stephen UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-431853
DOI:	10.1371/journal.pone.0105730
Journal or Publication Title:	PLoS One
Volume:	9
Number:	8
Date:	2014
Publisher:	PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE
Place of Publication:	SAN FRANCISCO
ISSN:	1932-6203
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language POPULATION; SETTLEMENT Multiple languages Multidisciplinary Sciences Multiple languages
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/43185